Padding for garment pressing machines, home ironers, mangles or the like



May 20, 1958 R. E. LANDERS ETAL 2,835,056

PADDING Foa GARMENT PREssING MACHINES, HOME IRONERS, MANGLES OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. l. 1954 lN VEN TORS. Ro am" EZ AA/Mms' PADDING FOR GARMENT PRESSING MACHINES, HOlVIE IRONERS, MANGLES OR THE LIKE Robert E. Landers, Rego Park, Sol Moldovan, Brooklyn, and Paul Indyke, `l'amaica, N. Y.

Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 465,866

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-66) This invention relates to padding for pressing machines, mangles and home ironers, used in pressing suits or other garments.

A continuing problem in the art to which the invention relates has to do with the provision of a padding overlying the lower platen or buck, which padding will retain the requisite resiliency, porosity, and heat insulative qualities over a long period of time under the heat, moisture, and pressure of commercial steam laundry operation and continued usage on home ironers.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to employ such material as sponge or foam rubber in pads of the type referred to. However, it has been found that such materials, under the operating conditions noted, have a pronounced tendency to dry out, cake, or solidify in patches. This materially impairs the use of such material from the standpoint of its resiliency and porosity. Further, it often becomes necessary to interpose a cloth of flannel or the like between the upper surface of the pad and its associated cover, for the purpose of achieving the desired soft nish during pressing of a garment. Further, when sponge rubber is subjected to steam laundry operating conditions, it tends to firmly attach itself to the fabric material of the cover or pressing cloth overlying the same. As a result, when said cover or cloth is removed, segments of the sponge rubber of substantial size adhere thereto, leaving the surface of the pad pitted to an extent that impairs the usefulness thereof in respect to providing an even surface for pressing operations.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved pad of the type referred to which, under the rigors of commercial laundry operations, will stand up under heavy service for a long period of time, and will throughout said period of time remain possessed of a uniform resiliency and evenness of surface over its entire area, will remain fully porous over its entire area throughout its life, will make it unnecessary to interpose a flannel cloth or the like between the pad and cover, and will permit a readier changing of covers than is possible for other types of pads already in use.

Another object is to provide a pad having the desirable characteristics hereinbefore noted, which pad will still be capable of manufacture at little or no increase in cost above that required for other pads already in use.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional pressing machine equipped with a pad formed in accordance with the present invention, said pad being shown in section at one end.

arent 0 Fig. 2 1s an enlarged transverse sectlonal v1ew on line 7 2 2 of Fig. l.

ice

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view of one of the laminations of the pad.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View of modification.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a second modification.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, bottom perspective view of a third modification.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally to a conventional steam buck pressing machine of the type used in commercial establishments. Said machine includes the lower steam buck 12 having perforations 14, through which the steam is ejected to pass through the pad to the article being pressed. Said article, not shown, is pressed between the lower buck and a movable upper head 16 pivoted at 18 to the lower platen or buck.

All this is conventional construction and does not per se constitute part of the present invention. The pad 20 constituting the invention is cut to a size and shape corresponding to the lower buck on which it is to be used, and is composed of a plurality of laminations, joined by suitable adhesives or, if desired, by such mechanical means as stitching or the like.

In the illustrated example, the laminations of the pads 20 are adhesively connected, but it will be understood that other means can be employed. In Figs. l and 2, the pad is shown as including a bottommost lamination 2.2 which is a length of asbestos fabric. Said fabric is of a relatively open weave in the preferred embodiment of the invention, to permit maximum porosity to hot vapors consistent with the important function of said fabric of protecting the pad layers disposed thereabove from heat of the vapors emanating from a source below the bottom lamination of asbestos.

The bottom lamination 22 supports a lower glass ber 4lamination 24. This material, known commercially as Fiberglas, has highly desirable qualities of heat insula tion, flexibility, resiliency, and durability.

Overlying the lower glass liber lamination 24 is a relatively thick lamination of rubberized, curled hair 26. ln this connection, although rubberized curled hair is illustrated, and is at the present believed to be the most desirable type of hair that should be incorporated in the intermediate lamination 26, it is to be understood that possibly any other type of curled hair, whether or not rubberized, might well be found capable of being employed to advantage.

ln the preferred embodiment of the invention, the curled` hair used is composed of approximately hog hair and 15% horse hair. Further, in an embodiment found to be possessed of the desired efficiency, the rubberized curled hair, considered from the standpoint of its proportion of hair to rubber, is preferably on the order of 60% hair to 40% latex rubber. The rubber, when solidified on the strands of hair, imparts a resiliency and body thereto not ordinarily possessed by the hair, so that the hair, curled as stated and properly rubberized, forms a highly porous, resilient mass that will not lose its porosity at any location, and will not cake, but will still be possessed of the requisite amount of density.

Overlying the lamination 26 is an 'upper glass fiber lamination 28. The upper lamination 28 may be of a density different from that of the lower glass fiber 1amination. Thus, the grade used for the lower layer may be chosen to have higher heat insulation qualities, while possessing less flexibility and resiliency. The upper lamination may, conversely, be possessed of a higher degree of resiliency. Or, both laminations can be of identical characteristics in these respects. v

Overlying the pad 20 is a cover 30, which cover can be formed either of asbestos fabric, or of a cotton fabric. Further, the cover along its marginal edge would be capable of being drawn down over the sides of the pad and of the associated buck, after which said edge would be turned inwardly as 4shown in Fig. 2 and secured tothe underside ofthe lower buck by means of Ieyelets 32 provided in the edge of .the cover, andy by screws 34 threaded into the underside of the buck through said eyelets. It will be understood that this is merely illustrative of one type of fastening means which can be employed, andany of various conventional fastening means, such as draw strings, could of course be used.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lamination 26 may itself in clude a fabric cover 36 of openmesh material, and the covering 36 could be applied to -the top surface of the lamination26 as well. This facilitates handling of the lamination `26 and imparts greater strength and apparent density.

In Fig. 4-the pad 38 yincludes a-.bottom layer of lamination of asbestos fabric, an intermediate layer 42 of curled hair or-lrubberized curled hair, and an upper layer 44 of glass fibers.

In Fig. 5, the pad 46 includes a bottom lamination 48 of glass fibers, a lamination or layer 50 also of glass fibers overlying the layer 48, a lamination 52 of curled hair or rubberized curled hair, and a top lamination 54 also of glass fibers. The lamination 48 is of a grade that is particularly well adapted from the` standpoint of its heat insulative qualities. The lamination 50, on the other hand, is softer, more exible, and more resilient than the bottom layer 48.y

In Fig. 6 the pad S6 includes a bottom layer 58 of curled hair or of rubberized curled hair, an upper layer 60, of glass fibers, and a cover 62 of cotton fabric having along its edges eyelets 64 through which is threaded a lac ing or draw string 66.` Although lacing is shown in the illustrated example, a draw string extending peripherally of the cover could, of course, be used.

It will be understood that Vwherever apad is illustrated without a cover, a cover could be placed thereon. Further, these pads shown as being covered could be provided without covers. The covers, further, can be of either asbestos fabric or cotton fabric, .and may be either withI or without draw strings. When asbestos fabric is used in thebottom layers, it is of open weave, but when used for a cover it would be of a close weave, with a special finish to adapt it for laundry operation.

In every pad it will be noted that the lamination immediately below, the cover is of glass fibers, and it has been :found that this provides a surface which is particularly soft and resilient, thus resulting in a garment that will be pressed better.l It has been noted thatunder the first impact of heat, moisture` and pressure, some of the chemical binder material at the topmost levels of the glass fibers in the pad tends to disintegrate and disappear without trace, leaving behind it, in place, a particularly soft mass of fiuffy glass fibers, called glass wool, which is Aalso very resilient and porous. This mass makes it unnecessary to interpose. a pressing cloth between the top layer ofthe pad and itscover, a practice which is followed bysteam laundry operators desirous of achieving the soft finish in the pressed garment which cannot ordinarily be obtained when sponge rubber or foam rubber lpads' are used.. Further, this mass permits a readier changing of covers without danger of seriously damaging the pad surface or its porosity or resiliency. When the cover is cooled, it can be removed easily without special preparation, and only insignificant particles of the glass wool will adherethereto. The cover may thus be readilyv cleaned and returned to place. Also, a damaged cover can bereplaced without impairing the usefulness of the pad.

It will also be noted that when a number of glass fiber laminations are used, as for example; when the hair lamination-is interposed between glass fiber layers, the additional glass fiber layer adds even more cushioning, resiliency and porosity.

The use of the curled hair is also very important. It does not cake, solidify, or dry out at any location, and maintains its resiliency and porosity under heavy, continued use. It has been found that it merely tends to mat down a little, and its overall dimensions are thus reduced. For example, when one density of rubberized curled hair is used, a two-inch thickness is reduced to a three-quarter-inch thickness under use conditions, and due allowance is made for this in the original preparation of the pad. However, it is important to observe that when the lamination of hair mats down, it retains its vital qualities of porosity and resiliency throughout its area, wholly unimpaired. Continued further use fails to induce any appreciable further matting beyond that effected in the first few uses. Further, the hair is unaffected by water.

Still further, steam passes through the hair lamination evenly and resiliency is uniformly sustained. Consequently, the operator is not reduced to the expedient of repressing the garment to achieve a finish which he desires to obtain at the first pressing.V The hair lamination maintains its efficiency under heavy operating conditions, and holds its body and shape at all times. All these results are achieved despite the fact that the rubberized curled hair is a far less expensive article than a multi-cellular rubber material of the same size.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In a pad for pressing machines, mangles, and homel ironers, a laminated structure, comprising a first layer of asbestos fabric having an open weave, said layer having sufiicient porosity` to permit penetration of vapor while protecting the structure from excessive heat of said vapor, a first fiber glass layer supported on said first layer, said glass layer having sufiicient fiexibility, resiliency, and durability to resist repeated applications of heat, moisture, and pressure thereon, a thick layer of rubberized curled hair overlying said fiber glass layer, said thick layer being formed into a highly porous, resilient mass which retains uniform porosity, density, and freedom from caking under repeated applications of heat, moisture, and pressure thereon, a second layer of fiber glass overlying said layer of curled hair, said second layer having a higher degree of flexibility and resiliency than the first fiber glass layer while said rst fiber glass layer possesses higher heat insulation qualities than the second glass layer, a close weave fabric cover over-lying second fiber glass layer, said coverhaving eyelets disposed along the marginal edge thereof.

2. In a pad for pressing machine, mangles, and home ironers, the laminatedl structure according to claim l, wherein said layer of rubberized curled hair is approximately hog hair and 15% horse hair, the rubber solidified on the strandsv of hair being present in the proportion of about 40% latex rubber to 60% hair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,198,620 Irvine Apr. 30, 1940 2,382,141 Dawson et al. Aug. 14, 1945 2,482,412 Gershon Sept. 20, 1949 2,539,714 Young et al Jan. 30, 1951 2,574,849 Talalay Nov. 13, 1951. 2,580,202 Talalay et al. Dec. 25, 1951 

